supergolden88

I havent tried swimming even though I really should make an effort. Peckham Pulse would be my closest - I guess worth checking out. If anyone knows when the best time for a really slow pregnant swimmer is let me know!

I am hoping the cough will go away soon. I have it easy considering - 2 days a week at the office is perfectly reasonable and my daughter is in nursery all day. I guess in a way having too much time on my hands and not doing anything constructive with it is making me depressed - you cant win with me! My belly really feels very heavy and tight all the time - wonder if a belly band or similar would help... I try to do my pilates dvd and feel the weight might topple me forward!

This is my second pregnancy and I am going to be 6 months this friday. I have to admit I am not coping very well. I am enormous; frequently out of breath; getting hot flushes (it feels like); suffering from indigestion and headaches; tired most of the time. A day at the office (only doing two a week thank goodness) wipes me out and I need a while to recover. I am getting a bit depressed - how will I cope with three more months of this?? I seriously think if I get any bigger I wont be able to do anything much at all. It doesn't help that I have had the coughing for the past month and that I haven't got much freelance work to distract me. I wish I could exercise but my energy levels are so low that I find it really hard. Still moaning here helps

Sounds like lots of people will be away the weekend of 7/8 - should we perhaps reschedule for 14/15 of August? (and maybe start a new thread this is getting very long!)

No fever although I am full of snot. Just seems to be dragging on and on. Just when I think it is better it gets bad again. I suppose lying in bed for a week would be good although not possible

I have had a nasty chesty cough for 5 weeks now. No other symptoms other than feeling generally run down and out of breath but I am also nearly 6 months pregnant so not so surprising. I have been to the GP who said it wasnt in my lungs and waved me off with paracetamol. Are there any alternative treatments I could pursue? I cant remember a time when I wasnt coughing and wheezing all the time...

I just realised that I am not really expressing myself properly here. Forget the book angle entirely (did not work for me first time around except when it came to the sleep training at 13months). Just wondering how your routine (or lack of) has developed what has worked for you especially in view of having more than one child to deal with

I am not advocating following the advice given in books blindly just wondering if there's a middle ground between Gina and the book I am reading now which is basically the softly, softly do whatever the baby wants/co sleep etc book. I dont think I can handly another entire year of the baby waking up 3-4 times every night which is what happened last time. Although I do think a lot has to be down to the baby's personality

Now that I am almost three months away from baby no2 I have been taking out all my old baby books and marvelling at the conflicting advice. I tried to follow some sort of routine with my daughter who is now 4 but I have to say it did not click until 8-9 months for daytime naps and much later (13 months) for sleeping through - and that only after we tried controlled sleeping (or spaced soothing or whatever you want to call it!). Whether this was because I had a very strong willed baby who refused to nap longer than 30mins at first or because she was exclusively breastfed I have no idea. Just wondered what has worked for you - whether it is a strict routine or not - especially for those of you with more than one baby. I have a feeling that what with my daughter starting school in January some sort of routine will be imposed on me whether I like it or not. Oh and I intend to continue working freelance from home if at all possible...

ready brek? It's pretty smooth - or other baby porridge perhaps

There is no excuse for it but at the same time it's not your place to tell her what to do.

THanks for the posts everyone. I think if I do it I will do it slowly - I need to take it easy and steady. If anyone can reccommend a local instructor who is especially patient and good for total beginners I would appreciate it.

Just to be clear so I can put it in the diary we are meeting at Peckham Rye park on Sat Aug 7th. What time are we thinking and also should we meet at/outside the cafe?

It does not sound like I can do this in such a short time. I am completely clueless when it comes to driving - total absolute novice. So even if I take the lesson now at nearly 6months pregnant it does not sound like I can actually do the test until later.

I am shamed to say that at 37 I still dont know how to drive a car. Which would be fine except I am expecting baby no2 end of October and it would be useful to know how to drive by then. Is it possible for a total novice to learn how to drive in about 2 months? And also take the test in that time? I could devote time to driving lessons since I have 3 days at home during the week. The whole thing is stressing me out. Dont want to spend lots of money and then not take the test (as for not passing it lets not go there). Advice please!

I had my first baby 4 years ago and now pregnat with second. It's mostly when I cough or sneeze.

I think my pelvic floor has subsidence. I have a cough (had it for weeks) and every time I cough I seem to have little leaks. It's very annoying not to mention embarassing Am I the only one unable to locate the pelvic floor let alone exercise it? I have been told the method and read about it but it seems to be doing nothing.

12 minutes pushing - I like the sound of that. I think I had 2h the first time! Just hoping baby wont be breech. He was at 23 wk scan but I suppose that there is still time to turn

Are you saying that from first contraction to baby it took and hour and a half??!!

Labour with my first one lasted about 12 hours from established contractions to baby. Talking about normal labour with no complications or epidural/interventions. I have been told that second time around it tends to be faster - is that your experience?

I dont see how you can transmit a virus through your breastmilk especially if you express and have someone else feed your baby. But in any case if you are worried about milk supply express when you would do a feed and that way you will keep up milk production

The 8th sounds good to me...

My entire house is filled with mostly very girly toys: dolls, cuddly toys, tea sets etc. (as well as a few dinosaurs and train sets). When my little boy is old enough to express a preference I will let you know whether he is drawn to any of those... All I know is I never dressed my daughter girly when she was a baby. She wore mostly trousers (some from the boys range) and all colours and was called a little boy fairly often. But as soon as she formed opinions she insisted on wearing dresses (they ones that "twirl") and refused to wear boyish clothing. I expect this to change completely later on - I wore only trousers between ages 9-14 and then later on switched to more girly clothing again. I am all for presenting equal opportunities and so on but apart from the sex a lot depends on personality

Sorry forgot to say I cant do July 24th - if there's any way could we postpone our park get together by a week and meet at the park on July 31st instead?

Worked for me labour started within half an hour. The sweep was uncomfortable but not so bad pain wise compared to labour!